'Supergirl' Confirms Batman Exists in Her World, Is a Nutjob

This week’s episode of Supergirl, “The Darkest Places,” ambiguously confirmed Batman’s existence in the Arrowverse with yet another reference to the Dark Knight of Gotham City.

In the beginning of the episode, the gang kicks back at the alien bar when the news reports another instance of National City’s newest vigilante Guardian sweeping the streets. As James (Mehcad Brooks) and Winn (Jeremy Jordan) play coy with their secret, Kara brings up some interesting history with her cousin Superman (Tyler Hoechlin).

“My cousin worked with a vigilante once,” she says. “Tons of gadgets. Lots of demons. Vigilantes are nuts.”

Sure, Kara could be referring to a few other DC Comics heroes — maybe Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch creation Midnighter — there’s almost no question, given the context, that it’s Batman. It’s quite exciting to know that on Supergirl’s Earth, the World’s Finest have already joined forces at least once before.

This isn’t the first timeSupergirl or even the wider Arrowverse has referenced Batman. Aside from featuring known Batman villains like Deadshot, Ra’s al Ghul, Solomon Grundy, Deathstroke, and even distant Batman family member Huntress, cities like Gotham and Bludhaven are all confirmed places that exist in the universe.

Also, Wayne Tech? One of the corporate divisions owned by billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne? It merges with Queen Consolidated, the empire that once belonged to Oliver Queen in Arrow, in 2024. You can see this as an Easter egg in Season 1 of The Flash.

It’s unlikely that DC’s procedural drama Gotham, which airs on Fox, will be included in the DC TV universe. That show also doesn’t have an adult Bruce Wayne ready to become the hero his city needs. But with all these tireless teases, maybe one day Batman will be the hero primetime TV deserves, and hopefully he’ll debut in Supergirl.